Wasn't he supposed to be beaten to death? Why did this powerful cousin love him so much?

Emperor Jingyuan glanced at the young couple before him, clicked his tongue, and waved his hand, saying, "Alright, stop getting in my way. Xie Junheng, take your wife away."

Xie Jue slowly loosened his grip, but not completely; he held Jiang Sese's hand firmly in his palm and bowed in agreement.

Jiang Sese was being led by him and was about to turn around and leave when she suddenly paused, turned back, and looked hesitant.

"Your Majesty," Jiang Sese asked cautiously, "I... this humble woman... shall I return to my old residence?"

Emperor Jingyuan glanced at her and said, "I have bestowed upon you a princess's residence, located at the east end of Zhuque Street, next to the Duke of Dingguo's residence. You may move in there."

Jiang Sese was initially pleasantly surprised, not expecting to gain so much from this trip to the palace. However, she noticed that Emperor Jingyuan's expression suddenly became slightly lost as he spoke.

It was as if he had remembered something from a very distant past.

Xie Jue gave her a wink, and Jiang Sese immediately understood—this meant to hurry up and leave.

Jiang Sese didn't say anything more, but simply bowed properly and said softly, "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty. This humble woman takes her leave."

……

A gentle spring breeze blew in from outside the palace. Jiang Sese took a deep breath, feeling as if all the surviving hardships of her life had been used up today.

Xie Jue looked down at her, about to say something, but Jiang Sese spoke first: "Oh, right! There's someone else I want to thank. Do you know where he is?"

Xie Jue frowned: "Who?"

Jiang Sese patted the token in her sleeve. "Fei Ying!"

Xie Jue took Jiang Sese to the Zhao Prison, but Xie Jue did not go in; he waited for Jiang Sese in the carriage.

Jiang Sese waited for Fei Ying in the main hall, and Fei Ying soon came out from the back hall.

Jiang Sese immediately stood up and gave him a proper bow, "Lord Fei."

Fei Ying immediately declined, saying, "I dare not accept such a generous gift from Princess Chenjia." According to the ancestral system of the Great Yong Dynasty, only daughters of princes of the imperial family were eligible to be granted the title of princess.

Unfortunately, Emperor Jingyuan was an emperor who never played by the rules.

Last night, Emperor Jingyuan issued an imperial edict to the Ministry of Rites, but of course, the Ministry of Rites rejected it based on ancestral rules. What a joke! Is being a princess like some cabbage, something to be granted casually?

However, the emperor's attitude was very firm.

The Ministry of Rites had no choice but to accept it.

Because it was an exceptional conferment of the title of Princess, it wouldn't be announced to the world; the Ministry of Rites would simply choose an auspicious day to conduct the investiture ceremony. However, Fei Ying was always well-informed, so she found out immediately.

Seeing Fei Ying's indifferent expression, Jiang Sese recalled what Fei Ying had said last time: that he didn't like her at first.

Therefore, Jiang Sese didn't take Fei Ying's attitude seriously.

After all, compared to his attitude towards others in the book, he should be grateful for the treatment he receives now.

Jiang Sese didn't beat around the bush and said directly, "Lord Fei, I really have to thank you for the token you gave me before, which allowed me to escape this calamity. No matter what, I owe you a thank you. However, since Commander Zhou suffered misfortune because of me, I would like to ask Lord Fei, does Commander Zhou have parents, a wife, and children?"

Fei Ying glanced at Jiang Sese, her eyes subtly revealing her thoughts, and said, "Zhou Lai is unmarried. He only has one younger sister, who is twelve years old this year. He also has his parents, who live in Zhou Family Village outside the city."

Such womanly kindness makes Xie Junheng, that ruthless man, truly unsuitable for her.

When Xie Jue entered the palace, he sent Xie Ping to instruct him on something. Fei Ying never imagined in his life that Xie Jue would actually... dare to have such a thought. Even just listening to it, Fei Ying suspected that those around him had grown ears. If Emperor Jingyuan found out, it wouldn't be a matter that could be resolved by nine generations of relatives.

Indeed, you can't afford to offend him, no matter who you are.

Everyone says he's the best at finding other people's weaknesses, but actually, it's Xie Jue who's the best at finding other people's weaknesses.

Fei Ying said, "Please rest assured, Princess, from now on, Zhou Lai's parents will be my parents, and his sister will be my sister. I will take care of his parents and find a good family for his sister. This is the rule of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and also a matter of personal duty. He is doing his job according to his warrant, so Princess need not worry about it."

Jiang Sese was surprised that Fei Ying had considered things so thoroughly.

The book only describes him as cruel and ruthless, but it doesn't mention that he actually had this side to him.

Jiang Sese nodded and said, "Thank you."

Fei Ying remained cold and simply nodded slightly.

……

Jiang Sese returned to the front of the carriage and was about to get on when she saw Xie Jue lift the curtain and reach out to her. Jiang Sese smiled slightly and placed her hand on his.

While Xie Jue was sitting in the carriage, he was actually silently reviewing the situation.

In fact, this outcome was a 50/50 chance, just as he had originally predicted. He had never been so uncertain about anything in his life; mortals really can't predict everything.

As soon as Jiang Sese got into the carriage, she asked, "By the way, you must have had a tough time in Jiangnan. How's it going there?"

A pair of bright eyes gazed at him.

It was as if the thrills of the past few days had left no trace of gloom.

"SeSe, it's all my fault..." Xie Jue said.

Emperor Jingyuan was right; he had spoiled Xie Yihua too much.

Knowing full well that only one of them could be saved, he couldn't make a decisive decision, and that was his mistake.

Fortunately, fate gave him another chance.

Jiang Sese was stunned for a moment, not understanding what Xie Jue meant. His fault?

Jiang Sese thought for a moment and immediately understood, then quickly shook her head: "It's not your fault, and I didn't expect you to come back so quickly... I originally thought you would be a few days away."

As she spoke, her gaze fell on his clothes.

Someone as particular as him didn't even have time to change his clothes... Jiang Sese could understand how Xie Jue had managed these past two days, and her eyes welled up with tears.

Xie Jue's heart softened, and he patted her head: "But this is all I can do."

Jiang Sese thought for a moment, not quite believing it: "Really?" The book describes Xie Junheng as having three burrows, always keeping something in reserve.

But Jiang Sese still couldn't imagine what would have happened if she hadn't held Duan Wei back that day.

What if she died, or he returned and she became Emperor Jingyuan's concubine?

Xie Jue smiled slightly and told her nothing.

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I'm late, but I still wish everyone a happy Dragon Boat Festival!